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nancybennett.bsky.social
Nancy Bennett 🇨🇦
@nancybennett.bsky.social
2.5K followers 810 following 2.1K posts
Canadian artist
nancybennett.ca
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nancybennett.bsky.social
I didn't set out to paint a series. I just kept coming across scenes of skaters enjoying winter. I loved that when cold weather hits, so many Canadians' first thought is "I wonder if the rink/lake/pond/river has frozen over." Click Alt-text for details.
#CanadianArt
Afternoon Skate 36x40, Oil on wood panel The rink at Glenstewart Ravine is built and maintained by the neighbourhood in Toronto's Beach neighbourhood. Trees in the ravine surround the rink and roads run on eather side of it with parked cars. The painting is of a glowing grey day. The skaters are pairs and singles, some in bright winter clothing, some in greys and browns. Among the skaters are a couple with the woman reaching out her hand but the man has his hands in his pockets, a pair or teens standing not skating, a small girl in pink snowpants with arms outstretched for balance and a parent crouched down beside her watching, and a few bystanders on the snowy side, on with black dog on a leash. Parked cars line the street behind the rink. Rouge River Skate 36x40, Oil on wood panel In the first winter of the pandemic, the people of Toronto were desperate to get outside and socialize safely while still maintaining distance. In this stretch of the Rouge River, where it meets Lake Ontario, there are several groups of people. Some playing a game of shinny, some just standing and talking. One older man holding a lawnchair for balance and a small child clutching his mother for balance. The sun is starting to set throwing golden light on the trees and grasses on either side of the river. The sky around the sun is turning deep blue which reflects on the ice. Shinny 36x40, Oil on wood panel Late winter, my cousin's boys and their friends spent the afternoon clearing the pond and playing a game of shinny. Their beloved dog tagged along because any outing that involves the kids AND snow is a great outing. The day is grey but there's a faint glow of sunlight through the clouds. Distant trees and small shed are silhouetted against the snowy field. Tall grasses and a few stones stick through the snow. There are three boys on the ice and one on a bench in the lower right corner. They have a net and sticks. On the bench is a shovel, more sticks, bags and boots. The large black dog sits centre in the foreground. He calmly looks directly at the viewer. The original sketch was bright pink which shows through in some places, most notable in the grasses. Game On! 36x40, Oil on wood panel Painted from a photo in Toronto's Archives. In 1919 six boys/men gathered on a patch of ice at the bottom of a gully in a vacant space in the Gerrard & Hastings neighbourhood. Two story houses can be seen in the distance. A line of hydro poles and wires run across the painting along Gerrard St. In the field, bare-branched trees overhang the gully. The ground is snow covered. A few people stand on the hill look down at the lads. A few of them have sticks. Some are just standing. The sky is grey but the sun can be seen trying to shine through the hazy clouds. The texture of the snow is rough covering the ground. A bit of the original pink sketch shows through the tree branches and through the grey of the houses and the people.
November 27, 2025 at 4:25 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
New painting completed in the studio today. Based on a photo from the Toronto Archives, these lads found a patch of ice which was all they needed. They grabbed their sticks and it was game on!
Game On
36x40, Oil on wood panel

#CanadianArt
Whole large painting, 36x40" horizontal. Painting of a snowy hilly stretch of land with ice formed in the gully at the bottom of the hills. A group of skaters with hockey sticks on the ice and small groups of people stand at the top of hiils watching. The sky is grey with the sun just barely shining through. Bare branched trees lean off the hills. A few rocks stick through the snow. In the distance, low grey houses fade into mist. Detail of the players on the ice. Six boys/men, four with sticks stand on the ice. The paint texture is rough with some undertones of pink. Close-up of the trees, hydro poles and wires and houses in the distance. The paint texture is rough and the paint catches on the brushstrokes. The trees have a hint of pink.
November 25, 2025 at 9:53 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
I guess we're in hockey season.

#artistlife #hockey #CanadianArt
View of my studio. One painting on a wooden easel, on hanging on the wall with paint spattered around it. Easel - 27x30, A Toronto Maple Leaf jersey fills almost the entire surface with 1" of dark blue background around the edges. Wall - Large mostly grey painting of snowy hills and grey skies and a small gathering of people at the bottom of the hills playing hockey. Also on the wall are reference photos of hockey jerseys and a Canadian flag. Close-up of the hockey players in the larger painting. Six people, 1-2" tall, holding sticks and painted roughly.
November 23, 2025 at 10:26 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
Thanks. I was so happy when one buyer bought them all.
November 22, 2025 at 9:50 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
A famous artist once told me that I'd sell NOTHING till I got out of my Group of Seven Canadian wilderness phase. These have all bee bought except the final pink one.
"Let others vision heaven's gate,
Dark pine, I dream for me you wait."
-Robert Service

#CanadianArt
Four paintings arranged two over two. Identical silhouette of pine trees against a sky. The skies are different in each, streaks of colours. Green and orange Pink, purple and yellow Red, purple and yellow Blue, purple and yellow Same silhouette of pine trees against a sky of pale gold and salmon pink. Same silhouette of pine trees painting in bright magenta against a sky of silver greys.
November 22, 2025 at 7:57 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
Painting trees with a teeny tiny knife.

#workinprogresss
November 21, 2025 at 3:33 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
Two experiences in #NewfoundlandandLabrador inspired this painting. I saw purple asters growing wild through the long grasses beside the path at Cape Spear, and at The Rooms gift shop they sold tiny tins of Carnation milk as Christmas decorations.
#CanadianArt #oilpainting
November 20, 2025 at 3:39 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
I called this painting "Cape Spear Bouquet" but I'm thinking of changing it to "Love Newfoundland".
#CanadianArt #NewfoundlandandLabrador
Painting, 12x16 vertical. A small bouquet of purple asters in a can of Carnation Evaporated Milk. Dark rough texture background in mottled brow, blue and tan. The purple flowers have yellow centres. Long green leaves on the angular stems. Long twisted golden brown blades of grass twist through the bouquet. The can has the traditional label with red banners across the top and bottom, piece of pumpkin pie on the bottom banner, the word Carnation across the top, Evaporated Milk in pale blue print in the centre white area. Close up of the flowers, leaves and grasses. The blossoms are similar to daisies but with thinner and square tipped petals. Close-up of the can of milk.
November 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
I’m creeping along painting so slowly and carefully, trying not to screw this up. Today I worked on the hydro poles and the rocks. Didn’t want to risk painting the wires. Next time.
#artistlife #workinprogress
Centre portion of a large painting of a snowy scene. Grey skies, houses and hydro poles along the top of a hill, hockey players at the bottom of the hill on a small patch of ice with rocks sticking up. Trees, the players and some people watching are unpainted, sketched on pink.
November 16, 2025 at 7:57 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
I think there's a business case for a service that re-dyes faded black clothing. Charge by the pound, boil them with new black dye, rinse, dry, return. I'd pay.
A selection of folded black tshirts and pants in various levels of fade. Some look grey.
November 16, 2025 at 4:28 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
Mornings are colder and darker now but shopping at the St. Lawrence Market has become a habit. Snuggling down in bed is not an option. Mama needs groceries! The maple items will last me well into next year.
#StLawrenceMarket #Toronto
Sunrise over urban neighbourhood. Trees, houses, a smokestack and a cement tower are silhouetted against the sky. The sky is mostly cloudy but an orange sun burns through close to the horizon. The clouds are in waves of shades of orange, green, purple and grey. My groceries on my kitchen counter. Kitchen utensils and a blender are behind the food. Clockwise from 12:00 - A loaf of multigrain bred, a 1 lb bag of maple sugar, 2 ataulfo mangos on a dozen eggs, bag of green beans, 2 bananas, one orange, two egg tarts, two avocados, a pile of small potatoes, bagels, a bag of cubed orange squash, 1L maple syrup, 1kg jar of plain yogurt, bag of white cheese curds.
November 15, 2025 at 3:56 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
This blah grey day is coming together. I like to so much, I’m nervous about taking every next step.
#workinprogress #art
In-progress painting of a snowy scene, grey skies, distant houses. Skaters playing hockey down in the gully.The people, trees and hydro poles are unpainted, sketched in bright pink.
November 14, 2025 at 6:36 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
Before the grey rolled in.

#sunrise
Sunrise over an urban neighbourhood. Trees, a smokestack and a cement tower rise above the treeline. A ribbon of orange runs along the horizon with the sun a bright ball of yellow divided by a thin cloud. Above the sun, the clouds are soft in waves of greys, purples and blues.
November 14, 2025 at 3:08 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
Painting this was an indulgence. Colours like a handful of Smarties, swooping and drooping, a vase made up of shapes. It hangs in my home for now. A 5 yr old came to visit and declared it pretty. I'm feeling pretty pleased now.
#artistlife
Painting, 27x30, vertical grey-green background. A purple vase with vertical ridges holds five tulips all in different colours. Dark pink Deep yellow, red, light pink, lemon yellow. The stems swoop and droop, a few spiky leaves stick up out of the vase twirling and drooping.
November 14, 2025 at 2:09 AM
nancybennett.bsky.social
I've been missing the sunsets all through the summer. It sets out of view for me till late October. I guess cold temperatures are the trade-off for getting to see this.
#sunset #seasons
Sun sets behind the Toronto skyline. The buildings and trees are all dark silhouettes. The sun in lightest yellow at the horizon, 1/4 from the right. The sky is full of poofy clouds that are orange on the bottom form the sunset and purple-grey on the top. Bits of light blue sky show through near the top. Same view of the Toronto skyline wiht the sun setting behind. TThere's a bad of bright yellow at the horizon, and the pink underside of the clouds. Higher up, the clouds are all grey with fleck of pink that have caught the light.
November 13, 2025 at 10:04 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
Sometimes in what I thought would be the middle of a painting, I find myself in Everything I do from this point on has an equal chance of making it worse or making it better zone. Proceed with caution.
#artistlife
Portion of a painting. Snowy scene of 5 people playing hockey on a patch of ice at the bottom of a hill. At the top of the hill are 7 people watching. Behind the people are grey outlines of houses. All of the people are very rough, sketched in bright pink. There is one hydro pole and a tree branch sticking up into the grey sky. The ground is snow in rough paint strokes. The entire painting, 36x40, horizontal. Grey sky with sun barely shining through. A line of dark grey houses along the top of a hill. Down in the gully, a group of people play hockey on a small patch of ice. There are dark rocks sticking through the snow. The people, trees and hydro poles are unpainted, sketched in bright pink.
November 11, 2025 at 10:40 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
If you see this, post your bird art.
I only have one so here it is -
Very rough painting, painted with a palette knife. Thin branches across grey, white and green background, red flecks of berries or small leaves covered with snow. In the bottom right corner is a cardinal, bright red with yellow beak.
November 11, 2025 at 12:20 AM
nancybennett.bsky.social
I've been on a soapmaking binge for the past few weeks. Today I made plain white soap. No colour, no scent, no milk or honey. Just water, lye and oils. This is my personal favourite.
#soap
Ingredients for soap on my counter with living room and windows behind. L>R Lye, shortening, olive oil, coconut oil, Brita jug of water. Three long narrow moulds full of soap. They're about 3"x20" and lined with white plastic. The soap is light buff coloured and looks like pudding or fudge. The soap is out of the moulds and cut into bars, lined up in a cardboard tray. Three bars are on top of the soap in the tray. They're light buff/tan colour with smooth side and bottom edges and top surface has been smoothed with a spatula.
November 10, 2025 at 10:55 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
It might be time to finally finish painting this old thing. I let it rest over the summer but now I think it's time to get back to it.
#GoLeafsGo #CanadianArt #workinprogress
Incomplete painting of a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, 27x30, vertical. The jersey is large filling the whole panel with 1/2" - 2" around the edge is deep blue-grey. The entire surface is painted but it's flat, needs more light and shadow.
November 9, 2025 at 10:58 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
Life was just too sweet.
Nine bottles of honey ranging from 250g to 1kg lined up on a wooden table with windows behind them.
November 9, 2025 at 4:18 AM
nancybennett.bsky.social
I got my honey harvest from Toronto Bee Rescue today. This is 1/4 hive share after the bears helped themselves to some in Sept. Usually there’s a bit more but that’s life in the wild. Hives are around the GTA.
#shoplocal #honey
Jars of honey on a dark wood table. 3x1k 2x500g 11x250g
November 8, 2025 at 7:24 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
It was a good day in the studio yesterday. I added some shadows and some light and it popped to life. I'm very happy with that can. Very happy.
#art #workinprogress
Incomplete painting of a handful of flowers and grasses in a can of Carnation Evaporated Milk. The background is shades of dark blues and browns. The can, stems, leaves and a few blades of long golden grass are painted. Only the blossoms remain in white sketch lines on the dark background.
November 8, 2025 at 3:22 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
I cut off my tomato plants at soil level in Sept. Since then it's been so warm it sprouted and put out flowers. We're expecting snow tomorrow so I doubt I'll get a second crop of tomatoes but I can always hope.
#BalconyGarden
Small tomato plant about 8" tall in a pot with a pink metal support ring. The plant has about 8 well formed flowers. In the background is the cement balcony floor and other flower pots, some with other flowers that defied my cut back.
November 8, 2025 at 3:01 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
Still a work-in-progress but I’ve been unhappy with it till today. Today I’m happy.

#oilpainting #workinprogress #artstudio
Incomplete painting, 36x40 horizontal. A group of kids playing hockey on a frozen patch of ice at the bottom of a gully. Houses, trees and hydro poles line the top of the gully. The ground is snow-covered, the unpainted parts - players, houses, trees and poles - are sketched in bright pink. Close-up of the players on the ice. A few rocks stick through the ice and snow. Close-up of the trees, houses and poles.
November 7, 2025 at 7:11 PM
nancybennett.bsky.social
Super moon.
View over an urban neighbourhood with streetlights on and lights in the windows of the buildings and houses. The sky above is dark blue with the full moon midway above the horizon at centre. The camera put a faint starburst and halo around the mood. There are white and grey clouds swooping into the light.
November 5, 2025 at 11:14 PM